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With the Release of “MKBKM” Imran Khan looks forward to working with Rishi

“Matru Ki Bijlee ka Mandola” has been in the news for some time. The film stars Imran Khan, Pankaj Kapur and Anushka Sharma. It has been directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. The film hit the screens today.

Imran worked hard to get his Haryanvi dialect correct for this film. The film is being touted as an image-changer for him. He has earlier been seen donning romantic characters. This venture sees him act with more passion and conviction.

This film is Bhardwaj’s first out an out comedy film. However, it is infused with a political background. The film deals with the dark theme of political greed and corruption set in the backdrop of a small village of Haryana.

As revealed by Imran on the eve of the release of the film, “MKBKM is a comedy, it's a very funny film. While the film's backdrop is one of land grabbing, the situation is treated with humor. With the kind of scams and politicians we have in this country, sometimes resorting to humor is the only reaction."

Imran added, “Vishal [Bhardwaj] gave me a degree of freedom which I frankly wasn't expecting and have never got from anyone. He was a very hard taskmaster especially during pre-production stage.”

The film has some commendable high points but is not consistent enough. Pankaj Kapur remains the highlight of the film and thrusts himself as much as he could within the limitations of the screenplay. Imran and Anushka struggle with their Haryanvi accent and their acting ability is seen only in flashes in this film.

The only educated people remain Imran and Anushka in the village who fall in love with each other. Anushka on the other hand, is seen engaged to Arya Babbar who plays a typical village boy. He plays the son of power-hungry Chaudhary Devi played by Shabana Azmi who outshines everybody else in the film. This love triangle and the raging political background make for this humorous film.

The film hits a few roadblocks. However, despite the hiccups it makes for a one-time watch.

After working with Pankaj Kapur, watching whom has been a learning experience for Imran; he has expressed his desire to work with Rishi Kapoor as well. He said about Pankaj Kapur, “He comes from a theatre background. When he performs, it looks so real. One of the reasons I took up the film was because of him. Since I share an equation with Shahid (Kapoor), working with his dad was great.” Talking about Rishi Kapoor he said, “After working with Pankaj sir, I want to work with Ranbir’s (Kapoor) dad — Rishi Kapoor. They are great actors, and for me, such opportunities are great learning experiences.”